A 17-Year-Old Died from the Flu—Should You be Worried?

An infectious disease specialist weighs in.

After the tragic news that an otherwise-healthy 17-year-old died after a bout of influenza, you might be wondering: Just how dangerous is the flu? "Influenza is a virus that needs to be respected," says William Schaffner, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. “It can take a perfectly healthy child or young adult and put them into the ER or intensive care unit 24 to 48 hours within onset of their illness.” What’s more, the flu is a real killer. "The estimates from the CDC regarding deaths due to influenza range from 4,000 on the mild end all the way to 40,000 on the severe end," says Schaffner. "On average, it’s in the 20 to 30 thousands each year." It sounds scary, but you can lessen your chances of getting ill as long as you take a few precautions.

“Young people have strong immune systems and, for the most part, get over their influenza without too much difficulty,” says Schaffner. Indeed, the CDC estimates that 90 percent of people who die from the flu are 65 and older. Another thing to note is that people are at a much higher risk if they’re not in optimal health. “People of whatever age with underlying medical conditions like heart disease or lung disease...or people who are substantially overweight, have diabetes, or are immunocompromised because of medications or another illness are more likely to get the complications of influenza,” says Schaffner. Those can include pneumonia, hospitalization, and even death.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Fear of missing out?

Don't miss out anymore!

So This Happened

Get the day’s top news and trending stories so you don’t miss a thing.

At the same time, even if you’re young and healthy, the flu is nothing to shrug about. “We can’t distinguish why, to make up some numbers, 100 young adults manage their infection pretty well, then the 101st who is just as robust with no underlying illness ends up in the emergency room or intensive care unit,” says Schaffner. That’s why he backs the CDC’s recommendation that everyone above the age of six months get vaccinated every year. You really just never know how your body will handle an illness.

The vaccines generally protect against three or four influenza strains, but most manufacturers are moving to a four-component vaccine. But then there’s the issue of time; the doctors come up with a vaccine in the spring for the following winter. “It’s an educated anticipation by influenza experts," says Schaffner. "In the interim, once we start manufacturing the vaccine, the virus can change. That’s what happened to the dominant strain this year." Since the strain mutated, the vaccine isn’t providing the best possible protection to everyone who got it. Still, Schaffner insists it’s essential. “Even though it’s only a pretty good vaccine, it can still do a lot of good. It’s one fundamental thing you can do to protect yourself and those around you."

Apart from vaccinations, you can protect yourself by practicing good hand hygiene. Washing your hands the right way is key, as is coughing and sneezing into your elbow rather than letting those germs spread everywhere.

Another tip to try to flu-proof yourself? If you have an underlying illness, do your best to avoid crowds during flu season. “If you have some sort of serious heart or lung disease or are otherwise frail, now’s the time to stay home when possible,” says Schaffner.

And if you do come down with the flu, stay home and call your healthcare provider as soon as you can. “You may be a candidate for one of the anti-influenza medications that we have," says Schaffner. "Tamiflu is the best-known. If it’s given within the first 48 hours of the onset of illness, it can help modify the severity and reduce your chance of getting worse."

The bottom line is that the flu is serious business and should be treated as such. With that said, it’s not about panicking; it’s about protecting yourself.

Advertising helps us give you all the fitness, health, and weight-loss intel you love—and more.

Enter your email or disable your ad blocker to get access to all of the great content on

Are you sure you want to log out?

If you are the only person using this device,
there’s no need to log out. Just exit this page
and you won’t have to sign in again. But if
you’re on a public or shared computer, log out
to keep your account secure.